Training injury rules Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge out for six to eight weeks

Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge has been ruled for six to eight weeks and will miss a congested festive fixture list.

Sturridge, 24, is nursing an ankle injury after picking up a knock in Friday’s training session at Melwood.

After visiting Hull on Sunday, the Reds face a testing spell of matches with trips to Tottenham, Manchester City and Chelsea to negotiate before the new year.

However, Rodgers believes Liverpool have the fortitude to last the distance in the fight for a top-four finish: "They are all testing games but I would expect us to last the pace.

"We have difficult games over Christmas but we’ll work hard. Look at our record this calendar year. We are hard to beat. If we’re not at our best and winning, we’re fighting to the death to get a result. That’s something that’s in the group now that maybe wasn’t when I first came in."